I have my Bronco so need to sell my car; advice on where to privately sale it!

[Panzer948]

So I hope this is okay to post here as it is "kind of" Bronco related since I need to sell my older car it replaces. Funny thing is, I am actually going backwards (as many EV owners would think) since I am replacing an EV car with a Bronco ! That's right, been there and done that with EVs for more than 10 years. Anyway, I know our time with ICE vehicles is limited so wanted to get this Bronco while I still could!

So I need to sell my 2011 Chevy Volt, which is in very good condition but has 144K miles. Original owner and never been in an accident. Recall the original Chevy Volt was actually 2 cars in one; EV first but then would go into a hybrid mode similar to the Prius - was really the best of both worlds).

So what is the best place to privately sell a car these days? I haven't had to sell one in 7 years and with Covid I want to avoid dealing with a bunch of non-serious inquires. I did try Carvana but they were more than 50% under BB value. What are the current trends with Craigslist, FB Marketplace, etc? My other advantage is that I am not in a hurry, which is one reason why I didn't pursue trade in.

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[Broncie]

I would try getting offers for your car from Vroom.com and Cargurus.com, those two gave me the best offers and were incredibly easy to do transactions with. Cargurus gave me the highest price and I sold my car super easily. My brother used Vroom to sell his car recently and they didn't even ask him for pictures of his car, they bought it without even seeing it haha. Those cars weren't as high mileage as your Volt, but still worth a shot! Best of luck

 

[Panzer948]

I would try getting offers for your car from Vroom.com and Cargurus.com, those two gave me the best offers and were incredibly easy to do transactions with. Cargurus gave me the highest price and I sold my car super easily. My brother used Vroom to sell his car recently and they didn't even ask him for pictures of his car, they bought it without even seeing it haha. Those cars weren't as high mileage as your Volt, but still worth a shot! Best of luck

Thanks for the advice as I hadn't even thought of them. The process sounds similar to Carvana. Will give it a go.

 

[Roll Sound]

I got more than I expected selling my R32 on Carvana. Great experience, I'd do it again. Instant payment, no BS you can get from a private party.

 

[Tricky Dick]

All this time I thought the Volt was a pure EV....

Craigslist still seems to be king if you want the maximum price. I've sold a handful in the past couple years. I usually try FB first since it's free but it has the most time wasters. After a couple weeks I'll pay the $5 on CL and it usually sells in a few days.

 

[Bestdayever]

Congratulations on getting the Bronco. I had the best selling experience through Carvana. Quick replies, you could call once the purchase was set up if there were questions. Seemless pick up and payment. They gave me top dollar of the three similar buyer groups. I sold two vehicles to make room in the garage and bank acct.

 

[Panzer948]

All this time I thought the Volt was a pure EV....

Craigslist still seems to be king if you want the maximum price. I've sold a handful in the past couple years. I usually try FB first since it's free but it has the most time wasters. After a couple weeks I'll pay the $5 on CL and it usually sells in a few days.

Thanks for the advice as I was wondering if Craigslist was still good (as I know it use to be). And avoiding time wasters for a high mileage used car is the way to go! I mean if I was going to get $10 to $20K out of it I wouldn't mind entertaining most offers. But that will not be the case for this sale so want to keep inquires to serious offers only.

BTW, I blame GM for not marketing the Volt correctly. When it hit the market, range anxiety was king and they did a poor job of educating the public that it was truly an EV but had a backup plan in case you run out of juice! If you pop the hood, you can see the electric motor beside the gas engine (really generator). We would sometimes go a couple of months without ever using a drop of gas, then take a 1000 mile trip and it would be all we used. Was (and kind of still is) a very unique vehicle.

 

[Black_Stallion13]

Do you already have the Bronco? Keep in mind wherever you sell it has to give you enough extra money vs. the dealership's offer to offset what you would save in taxes with a dealer trade (you aren't on the hook for any sales tax on the value of your trade towards a new vehicle) - at least this is how it works in Ohio. I can usually make about $1,000 extra max selling privately vs. just trading in as long as the dealer is being somewhat fair. Sometimes not worth the hassle of messing with private sale. Just my .02

I post my cars on cars.com, Craigslist, and FB marketplace. I'll usually get offers from CarMax/Carvanna too just for comparison sake but they aren't going to get you as high as selling privately. Just depends how much the extra hassle is worth to you.

 

[Ice Age]

Your local Chevy dealer will probably give you decent money be sure to check it out.

 

[BlueBronco1969]

I would try getting offers for your car from Vroom.com and Cargurus.com, those two gave me the best offers and were incredibly easy to do transactions with. Cargurus gave me the highest price and I sold my car super easily. My brother used Vroom to sell his car recently and they didn't even ask him for pictures of his car, they bought it without even seeing it haha. Those cars weren't as high mileage as your Volt, but still worth a shot! Best of luck

Agreed. I used shift.com and they made it so easy and paid a premium for a well-taken care of vehicle. Carmax offered 13,100. Shift.com paid $14,900. And they came to me…

 

[Panzer948]

Do you already have the Bronco? Keep in mind wherever you sell it has to give you enough extra money vs. the dealership's offer to offset what you would save in taxes with a dealer trade (you aren't on the hook for any sales tax on the value of your trade towards a new vehicle) - at least this is how it works in Ohio. I can usually make about $1,000 extra max selling privately vs. just trading in as long as the dealer is being somewhat fair. Sometimes not worth the hassle of messing with private sale. Just my .02

I post my cars on cars.com, Craigslist, and FB marketplace. I'll usually get offers from CarMax/Carvanna too just for comparison sake but they aren't going to get you as high as selling privately. Just depends how much the extra hassle is worth to you.

Yes, I have had my Bronco for 2 months (that is mine in the avatar). As I said, I wasn't in a hurry as I am lucky enough to have a couple of spare cars and only wanted to concentrate on getting a good sale price for the Bronco (MSRP) without the extra hassle and negotiation of a trade-in. I am also a little slow in parting with cars and usually keep them until they fall apart (and donate them). But in this case, I need the room in my driveway Cars.com sounds like a good one to try too. I will for sure try Craigslist!

 

[da_jokker]

Try Shift (not swift). Just sold mine to them and they offered more than all the other online people.

 

[Drex]

Your problem is not with to whom you are selling, it is that the battery pack is likely out of warranty (100/150K miles depending on State). Nobody wants a hybrid or EV with a non-warrantied battery. Replacement costs will total the vehicle.

 

[Panmort]

Try Shift (not swift). Just sold mine to them and they offered more than all the other online people.

Thanks for the suggestion. I just did a quick quote with them for the car I'm planning to sell and they offered almost 1,500 more than the highest so far. I'm waiting on at least one more service but it looks like they may end up being the one to beat.

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